The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)on a global scale has had a huge impact on public health. The pathophysiological mechanism of T2DM is closely related to the adipokines secreted by different regional fat depot.Visceral adipose tissue secretes more adipsin than subcutaneous adipose tissue.Adipsin,a cell signaling protein secreted by adipocytes,participates in the limited activation speed of the alternative complement pathway(AP)and plays an important role in pathological processes such as ischemia⁃reperfusion and sepsis. How⁃ ever,studies on the role and underlying mechanisms of adipsin in T2DM are not yet clear. Just as incretin provides cues from the gastrointestinal system,adipsin may signal along the fat⁃to⁃islet axis. This review systematically sum⁃ marizes the effect of adipsin on blood sugar regulation and the potential mechanisms from clinical practice to animal experiments,aiming to provide a new explanation for the pathogenesis of hyperglycemia caused by lipid metabolism disorders,and new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of T2DM.